Wednesday, August 09, 2006

This is a big day for me, Bellas, cause the woman whose book inspired the obsession that inspired Romance: B(u)y the Book is here today. Please welcome the always entertaining, often naughty, and forever unrepentant, VLT!

If there’s such a thing as a cruise bunny, that would be me. I love everything about cruising – the ship, the hunky deck hands, the water, the hunky deck hands, the midnight buffets, the hunky deck hands . . . . they’re not so far removed from that pirate fantasy we all love, are they? Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom, anyone?Obviously sex and ships go together in my mind, so what better spot to set my latest nerd book? I pictured a sort of Love Boat Goes Nerdy scenario, and voila!Okay, it didn’t go quite like that. What really happened is this – my editor came up with the title Nerds Like It Hot and asked me to write a story to go with it. Yikes.

Forget all that stuff about a plot that wouldn’t leave me alone or characters that intruded on my dreams. This book started with a title. There was precedent for that, because Nerd in Shining Armor, my first nerd book and the one that Kelly Ripa featured on her book club, started with a title, and that worked out fine.

Because the new title came from the golden oldie Some Like It Hot, I thought it would be fun to echo some of the elements in the movie. For those who’ve forgotten (I had to re-watch it, myself), Marilyn Monroe’s a singer in a girl band, and Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon disguise themselves as girl musicians and head to Florida with the band in order to escape the clutches of the mob.

So in Nerds Like It Hot, my mousy heroine Gillian is on the run from the mob, disguises herself as a Marilyn look-alike, and hops on a Mexican Riviera cruise in August. Believe you me, it is HOT in Mexico in August. But hot means you wear less clothes, so I didn’t have to spend paragraphs undressing my characters. A couple of snaps and buttons, and they were good to go.

I also put Tony Curtis in the book as the hero’s sidekick Dante, but for my hero Lex, I needed somebody way sexier than Jack Lemmon. (Sorry, Jack.) The name’s kinda close . . . does Hugh Jackman fit the bill for most of you? I thought so. There’s also a cross-dresser, and much more sex than in the movie, which had like zero sex except for one make-out scene between Marilyn and Tony.

I have to say that starting out with a title and no story wasn’t as scary as it seemed when my editor first threw it at me. She also saved me the angst that comes when you’ve finished a book and still don’t know what to call the darned thing. Unfortunately, out of the eighty-something books I’ve written, I’ve only managed to think up about three of the titles myself.

I love Vicki's books! I just bought the new one! I can't wait to read it. Great post btw!

Hmmm...I already suggested some titles in a chat I was at with Vicki a while back...hmmm..let's see if I can remember some of them and add a few more.

Gettin' Down and NerdyChronicles of Nerdia (LOL...couldn't resist)Nerds 'R UsA Lowdown Nerdy ShameBeauty and the NerdNerd on WheelsNerd on the RangeMaterial NerdNerdy Dancing (LOL)Runaway NerdMy Heroes have Always been Nerds

What a great interactive topic VLT! Welcome to the board and we hope you enjoy your stay here!

Thank you, thank you for the pic of Hugh! Next to Gerard he's totally delish

Ladies, ya'll got me thinking about Marilyn and that quickly followed with Clark Gable (The Misfits) and then the delicious Cary Grant, who in his day WAS Hugh Jackman.

Nerds Are A Girls Best FriendThe Nerd and the ShowgirlHow to Marry a NerdNerds Prefer BlondesGirls Prefer NerdsTo Catch a NerdI Was A Nerd Bride

Great Fun!! And the writing is SOOOO Totally rocking...or at least it will be when I get done with a marketing mailing. *sigh* But I never knew how much fun paranormals are!! I AM GODDESS!!! Bawahhahahahah LOL

THE NERD WHISPERERTHE NERDS OF HAZZARDNERD IN THE MACHINENERD BY NORTHWESTDREAM NERDTHE NERD WHO KNEW TOO MUCHTHE GREAT NERD CAPERMR. NERD GOES TO WASHINGTONNERDS ON ICENERDY IN PINKTHE NERD DIARIESA TALE OF TWO NERDSA NERD FOR ALL SEASONSNERD OF LA MANCHATHE TROUBLE WITH NERDYONE NERD AT A TIMEOH, NERDOH, NERD, YOU DEVILO NERD WHERE ART THOU?THE NERD AND IPLAY NERDY FOR MECAN'T BUY ME NERDFROM NERD TO ETERNITYTO CATCH A NERDYOU'VE GOT NERDNERDS AND DOLLSNERD OF THE OPERATHIS NERD'S LIFE

General:NERDY, ROTTEN SCOUNDRELSMUST LOVE NERDSTHE NERDINGMYSTIC NERDNERDLESSNERD FOR A DAYTHE ENGLISH NERDTOPSY NERDYTWO AND A HALF NERDSTHIRD NERD FROM THE SUNNERDSONGLOOKING FOR MR. NERDBARLITTLE NERD TATEONE NIGHT WITH A NERD

Greetings! Vicki's assistant, Audrey, here. Vicki should be along in a little bit, but I had to take a moment to say how much I'm loving these titles! Somehow I doubt Vicki's going to be short on titles after today.

I also wanted to give a quick answer to Amy's question in case Vicki misses it. Nerd in Shining Armor was Vicki's title, but it was Vicki's publisher at St. Martin's who decided to put "Nerd" in the titles after that. Judging by the reader responses, it was a brilliant idea.

You mentioned my top 3 picks when it comes to hunky guys aka Nerds to Die For, The Nerd who Loved Me, Nerds are Forever, For Nerds Eyes Only, A View to a Nerd, Nerds Never Die, Golden Nerd, The Nerd with the Golden Gun, Thunder Nerd, From Nerd with Love, Dr. Nerd - okay I like James Bond too lol.